Poll Shows California Voters Support Tobacco Tax, Term Limits Measures
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - California voters appear ready to approve two statewide initiatives on the June 5 ballot, Proposition 28 to shorten legislator term limits and Proposition 29 to increase cigarette taxes, according to a new poll.
The Field Poll released Thursday shows Proposition 28 poised to sail to victory in large part because there is little visible opposition to an idea poll director Mark DiCamillo said is overwhelmingly supported by voters.
"Every poll that we've done on the idea of term limits, voters like the fact that there is a limit on legislators' term in office. I don't think that could ever be overturned," he said.
KCBS' Jeffrey Schaub Reports:
California voters approved the nation's strictest legislature term limits in 1990, and subsequent efforts to soften them have failed. The poll found 50 percent of likely voters support Prop 28 and just 28 percent oppose it.
Prop 28 reduces the total time a lawmaker can hold office from 14 years to 12, and allows a legislator to serve that entire time period in one house. Currently they must divide their total tenure between the state Senate and Assembly.
The Field Poll found support for Prop 29, the measure to add an additional $1 onto the cost of a pack of cigarettes, remains strong. Fifty percent of likely voters reported they will vote in favor, compared to 42 percent against it.
Aggressive advertising against Prop 29 by the tobacco industry that questions how the state will dole out that money for cancer research appears to have swayed some voters.
"It's only leading by eight points," DiCamillo said.
"If you compare that to prior measures, public poll measures on the tobacco tax initiative, that is down from leads that were as high as 25 points."
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